A bloody good meal inspired by Dracula
I vawnt to cook you pasta! I have been a vampire fan long before it was trendy. Ask any of my friends and they’ll tell you that I’ve been threatening to throw a Vampire Diaries party for years. It’s my favorite show of all time and maybe someday we’ll head back to 1864 but in the meantime, we’re going old school Dracula for episode three of Quarantine Halloween! Here’s how I hosted the Vampire Dinner of my dreams, recipes and all.
The Ambiance
To capture an old world Transylvanian look, I hung tattered black fabric from the dining room doorway, chandelier, and in key places around the dining room. This is the third time I’ve used this fabric (which I got for $10 on Amazon) at a party and it instantly makes a room look old and creepy. I swapped my main painting out for my forest painting and added bat wall decals to the dining room wall.
I wrote “Eternally Yours” with fangs on my chalkboard and swapped my normal lanterns out for black lanterns on the side tables.
The Table
For the table, I used a black tablecloth and red fabric bunched up down the center. This isn’t even a table runner. Shoutout to my mom for the idea. She said, “You so often have fabric on your table but you’ve never really shown that on The Rose Table.” I love the bunched up look. It looks casual and elegant all at the the same time. For the candles, I used my favorite silver candelabra and small silver votive candles.
The Flowers
I arranged two red centerpieces for either side of the candelabra. Each arrangement had red roses, red alstroemeria, and red lilies, which I thought were especially appropriate since lilies are the flowers of death.
The Place Settings
I used silver chargers and my mint julep cups for that old world look. Vibrant red napkins of course signified blood, the life force of every vampire, and, after much deliberation, I used those cheesy party store fangs as napkin “rings.” I love how whimsical and light hearted they look juxtaposed with the elegant silver touches. Never take yourself too seriously!
The Fashion
I wore a long black maxi dress with a red cape for my “vampire chic” look. I painted my nails black for the occasion, crimped my hair and pulled it in a part up-part down look, and went for a smoky eye with red lipstick.
The Drink
What would a vampire party be without blood bags? I absolutely adore these fun party vessels. You can fill these food grade blood bags (order from my Amazon store here) with whatever red liquid your heart desires. I drank cabernet sauvignon – an appropriately Halloween “Witching Hour” brand. Read more about how to use the blood bags here.
The Food
Vampire Dinner Menu
Bloody Bolognese with Bat Toast
Bloody Vampire Bite Cupcakes
Bloody Bolognese with Bat Toast
Squid ink pasta and red meat sauce combined equals one scary Halloween dish! This meals is as delicious as it is creepy. Pair with easy bat garlic toast. Get the recipe here.
Bloody Vampire Bite Cupcakes
These delicious chocolate cream cheese cupcakes have a scary surprise! They’re filled with whipped cream cheese “blood” that spills out when you take a bite. Get the recipe here.
Sharing is Caring
Since I shot this episode in quarantine, I packed up dinner for my fellow vampire-loving friend Irene, who lives pretty close by. She ate the food at her house and we enjoyed a virtual Dracula movie night.
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